Retox, I AM HERESY, Descender, Wet Witch

Retox

All that matters in the grand scheme of things is the band is not directly comparable to what has come before them. But if we must: RETOX is an outcome of stagnant and boring western culture, as well as the self proclaimed counterculture, which has slipped into a sea of pointlessness. The band manages to detach themselves from what one might consider a promotional paragraph trying to explain what is not really important to the band themselves; such as a list of influences – they are influenced by much more than music, but more so by the world at large. The band has no goal for what the future holds. Sonically, the band's crude and primitive aspects make sense in this day and age. The band is a reaction to the world that the members and their comrades have lived in: shitty childhoods, bureaucratic frustration, and the overall justification of continuous war. That sensibility coupled with a modern artistic delivery, the music is educated as well as furious, and most importantly, blurring genre lines of punk, hardcore, thrash, metal and whatever else seems fitting to the critics. RETOX features members of some grand dick-sucking accomplishments, acts such as The Locust, Head Wound City, Holy Molar, All Leather, Some Girls, Swing Kids, Cattle Decapitation, Struggle, The Festival of Dead Deer, and The Crimson Curse.

I AM HERESY

What happens when your band falls apart and everything you worked toward is abruptly thrown away? You start a new one! That is exactly what Nathan Gray (Boysetsfire, Casting Out) decided to do once his last musical effort The Casting Out ceased to exist. Not one to sit around and cry about the situation, he decided to move forward and form something completely new. He didn't have to look far though, realizing that his son Simon Gray and fellow bandmate Jonah Latshaw (May 4th Massacre) both were very talented musicians in their own right, he recruited them to start a new band. Going back to the roots of what made Boysetsfire such a powerful force in the punk/hardcore scene, mixed in with the younger metal influence of Simon and Jonah..... I AM HERESY was formed. To help complete the band and take it to the next level, brothers Jay and Crumbs Konieko (The Dead and Gone) were added on Bass and Drums respectively. The last piece to the puzzle to help reinforce such an imposing sound was former (Chambers) guitarist Gregg Kautz. As a whole each band member brings their own unique musical style to form a wall of sound that has and will continue to grow and evolve. I AM HERESY.

Descender

Taking their name from an obscure typographic term, Descender is a Brooklyn-based band made up of four graphic designers. Drawing on influences ranging from early '90s indie and punk rock to hardcore and new progressive metal, Descender effortlessly fuses together a sound that defies easy classification. Often sidestepping traditional verse/chorus conventions, their songs are short and to the point, but also richly textured. Comparisons usually fall the way of 90s post-hardcore icons like Quicksand, Helmet, Unsane and Snapcase.

Over the last two years Descender has been making a name for itself playing regularly in NYC-area clubs, basement venues and DIY loft spaces including Mercury Lounge, Studio at Webster Hall, Santos Party House, Trash Bar, Lit Lounge, The Charleston and more. They've shared bills with some kick ass bands including Goes Cube, Shai Hulud, Outbreak, Tiger Flowers, The Banner, Naam, Iron Age, East of the Wall, Heks Orkest, Tournament, ASG, Monolith, Devil & the Sea, Music Hates You, Reign Supreme, The Carrier, Red Chord and Premonitions of War to name a few.